September 7, 2023

*) US announces new Ukraine aid totalling over $1B US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new aid for Ukraine, totalling more than 1 billion dollars in a visit to Kiev, in new military and civilian security assistance, also in support for Ukraine's air defences and other areas. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba [dee-MEET-ro COOL-eh-bah] told top US diplomat Antony Blinken that Washington's support was "not charity", as Ukraine presses ahead with its counteroffensive against Russia. *) Over 5M people displaced by months-long conflict in Sudan: IOM More than 5 million people have now been displaced by the months-long fighting in Sudan, as clashes between the country’s military and a rival paramilitary force, show no sign of easing. According to the International Organization for Migration, over 4 million people have been internally displaced since the conflict erupted in mid-April,- while another 1.1 million have fled to neighbouring countries. More than 750,000 have travelled to either Egypt or Chad. *) WHO: Bangladesh facing most severe dengue outbreak on record Bangladesh is experiencing its most severe dengue outbreak on record, the World Health Organization has said, partly blaming the climate crisis for contributing to the spread of such mosquito-borne diseases. WHO chief told an online press conference that more than 300 deaths from dengue were reported last month alone, saying "The outbreak is putting huge pressure on the health system." While cases were beginning to decline in the capital Dhaka, they were increasing in other parts of the country, he added. *) Biden bars oil and gas drilling in vast swath of Alaska US President Joe Biden's administration has announced it is banning new oil and gas drilling, over a vast region of Alaska that is significant for Indigenous communities, and home to iconic animal species. The decision follows a controversial move by the US government earlier in the year to greenlight a ConocoPhillips project in the same area. The new prohibition co